Railroad cross-tie.



UUNI.TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F Rn nEmcK WILLMONT DUNNELL,YOF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

To all whom it may concern.-

, of which the following is a full, clear, and exand, as shown, it consists of an elongated ported in the mold wherein the tie-body is RAILROAD CROSS-TIE.

srncmrcri'zrron formingpartof Letters Patent No. 722,501, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed July 8', 1902.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLMONT DUNNELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield,in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Railroad Cross-Tie,

act description.

This invention has for its object to provide a cross-tie composed mainly of leather and stifiened bya metal-core-bar.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, asis hereinafter d escribed,and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a. metal corebar that is a detail of the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the railroad cross-tie substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is'a perspective viewof one end portion of the cross-tie, showing the core-bar projected therefrom; and Fig.4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the flanged end of the core-bar folded upon the end of the tiebody. Y

' The invention, briefly described, provides a tie-body molded from granulated or pulveriz ed leather, which may be waste material, and any suitable waterproof cement thoroughly mixed with said material, a core-bar, of plate metal,'having novel formbeing supsubsequently molded,so that the core-bar may project from each end of the tie-body and said end portions be folded down upon the ends of the tie-body, thus securing the core-bar from longitudinal displacement.

In the drawings, 5 represents the core-bar,

strip of plate metal, which while in the form of a flat blank is rectangular in contour. The plate-metal blank from which the core-bar is formed has at each end four fiangesaa a. a formed thereon by slitting the material longitudinally an equal distance from the ends, and these slits b b b at each end are prefer- Serial No. 114,711. (No model.)

ably spaced apart equally and are parallel with each other. The is bent in opposite directions, respectively, in alinement with the slits b in opposite ends and likewise with the slits b therein, these bends producing thelateral flanges 5, giving the core-bar somewhat the form of the letter Z in cross-section. The core-bar is rendered blank for the core-bar quite rigid by the provision of the flanges 5 thereon and is so proportioned in length that when in place within the tie-body the end flanges thereon will project beyond the ends of the do their full length.

The tie-body 6 is preferably formed with parallel top andbottom surfaces and convexed sides, it being aconcretion of granular leather solidified by admixture with any suitable cement that is waterproof and that will harden into a slightly-elastic mass when subjected to heavy pressure while in process of manufacture. Before consolidation of the plastic material in a suitable mold the core-bar 5 is held centered in the mold-space or matrix, so that when the tie-body is molded around the corebar the latter will be embedded therein at the center, as represented in Fig. 2. Atter the tie-body 6 is removed from the mold and becomes hardened by exposure to the air the flanges a aha a are bent at a' right angle in the direction represented by the arrows in Fig. 3, which will fold them flat upon the ends of the tie-body 6; disposing them at each end as represented in Fig. 4, having their inner edges contacting and their outer edges arranged in rectangular form.

It will'be seen that by provision of the platemetal core-bar 5 and its combination with the composite tie-body 6 alight strong slightlyresilient tie is produced,'which if manufactured of waste leather as a material for the. tie-body will be comparatively inexpensive.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a composite crosstie, the plate-metal core-bar, having substantially Z- shape in cross-section, and a plurality of foldable flanges at each end thereof.

2. In a composite cross-tie, the plate-metal core-bar having substantially Z shape in cross- 2 Y nasot section, and at each end fou'r foldable flanges, plastie,and the flanges at each end of the core formed by three spaced'slits formed longitubar being folded upon'the ends of the tiedinally'iu the core-bar material. body to hold said core-bar in place.

3. Acomposite cross-tie,comprisingaplate- In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 metal core-bar substantially Z shape in crossname to this Specification in the presence of I 5 section, and having a. plurality of flanges at two subscribing witnesses. J 7 each end thereof, a tie-body formed of granue FREDERICK. WILLMONT DUNNELL. lar leather and-a suitable cement, adapted to Witnesses: I harden, the core-bar being embedded in the OSCAR A. EBERHARDT, to tie-body while the material of said body is GHARLESL. YOUNG. 

